SB 678 - This act establishes the "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act," which requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to establish the "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking" pilot program during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Under the act, DESE shall select between five and seven school districts to participate in the pilot program. A pilot program site shall address each component of media literacy outlined in the act and report on how the site addresses news content literacy, visual literacy, digital fluency, and digital literacy, as those terms are defined in the act. The media literacy and critical thinking pilot program shall terminate on June 30, 2026, and each pilot program site shall submit a report to DESE by August 1, 2026. DESE shall study the results of pilot program and develop guidelines for students on areas outlined in the act, including the safe use of social media platforms; digital ethics and etiquette; and identifying online misinformation. DESE shall also develop guidelines that provide school districts with examples of learning activities, resources, and training that promote critical thinking and the skills necessary to evaluate all forms of media.
Before January 1, 2027, DESE shall compile the reports from the pilot program sites and submit its summary to the General Assembly. DESE's summary shall include specific information described in the act, including qualitative and quantitative insights on how the pilot program sites addressed media literacy; strategies and resources used by educators; any professional development that was required; and recommendations for the facilities, instructional materials, and technologies necessary to implement a statewide media literacy and critical thinking program. DESE shall also provide the General Assembly with a draft of media literacy and critical thinking state standards for preschool to grade twelve. The provisions of the act shall expire on December 31, 2026.
This act is identical to HB 492 (2023) and similar to HB 1249 (2023).
OLIVIA SHANNON